January 26th will see the release of ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue,’ the anticipated new full-length from PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS. In advance of its release, Loudwire is hosting a premiere of new single, “Delinquent.” Notes ANSELMO simply of the latest bruiser, “It’s old school-meets-ugly-school. Good shit.”

And if you missed it, check out “Choosing Mental Illness,” initially premiered at Decibel Magazine as well as “The Ignorant Point,” first debuted by Revolver, at THIS LOCATION.

‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’ will see release on CD, vinyl, and digital formats in North America via Housecore Records. The record is being licensed in Europe by Season Of Mist. Physical pre-order bundles are currently available via the Housecore Store at THIS LOCATION. For digital orders, point your browser HERE.

In an advance review of the record, The Rock Pit hails, “a brutal album, heavy in attack but chaotic in style and grandeur.” Two Guys Metal Reviews observes, “a sort of unreal bitterness here that you can’t help but to admire,” furthering, “The sheer anger PHIL communicates in his most crushing vocal lines and the mind-melting assault of these tracks speaks of a world few of us are truly comfortable with. ANSELMO and the gang are pulling apart societies problems and forcing us to choke on them.” Metal Nexus writes, “this record has everything one would want from a PHILIP H. ANSELMO project – testosterone-filled, aggressive, no-nonsense metal with attitude. His decades of experience creating, performing, and recording heavy music is showcased exceptionally here.” Metal Wani concurs, “Every song is full of relentless anxiety, tension, and malice. Seeking solace is not in the cards as the death-tinged hardcore brutality within this album is terrifying. However, there is a bit of a cathartic release that only the tortured vocals of PHIL ANSELMO can provide.”

PHILIP H. ANSELMO hasn’t just paved his own path; he’s bulldozed it with his bare hands. His primal, powerful presence led Pantera to Grammy Award nominations, sales of twenty million albums worldwide, legions of diehard fans, and an indisputable heavy metal legacy. Simultaneously, Down carved out a distinct niche with a gold-selling debut and three more critically acclaimed releases. Superjoint made a triumphant return in 2016 and in the midst of everything, ANSELMO joined Scour alongside members of Pig Destroyer and Cattle Decapitation and teamed up with horror icon Bill Moseley for the Bill & Phil project. However, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS speaks to a certain need for him. Instead of treading the same ground, ANSELMO and his bandmates in THE ILLEGALS, open up another doorway altogether with their 2018 sophomore release, ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’. It’s extreme, abrasive, aggressive, and anthemic. In other words, it’s purely ANSELMO.

Following up 2013’s ‘Walk Through Exits Only’, this new body of work hinges on no holds-barred lyrical misanthropy and insurgent instrumental intricacy as it sharpens any and all edges to guillotine precision. “It ain’t pretty,” ANSELMO exclaims. “It’s more straightforward and cohesive to a degree, but it still goes off the rails here and there. We went through it song after song cut and fucking dry. I was in a specific mindset. I wanted to further my endeavors into a genre of music that I adore. As all ten songs blow by, I wanted an unforgiving feel. This is what was on my mind. It’s a recorded capsule of time.” Following a successful maiden touring cycle for THE ILLEGALS, the frontman hunkered down at his home studio in Louisiana to record what would become ‘Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue’ in 2014 and 2015.

The lineup shifted as Stephen Taylor (Superjoint) transitioned from bass to guitar, Mike DeLeon (Flesh Horder, Being Killed, ex-MOD et al) joined as a guitarist, and Walter Howard (Grieved, Oppressive Force) took over bass duties. Meanwhile, Jose Manuel “Blue” Gonzalez (Superjoint, Warbeast) held down the drums. Through rigorous rehearsals and writing sessions, a framework for the new music took shape as ANSELMO wholeheartedly welcomed the ideas of his cohorts. “Their creative input is fucking fantastic,” beams ANSELMO. “This is something that was very different from the first record where I was very staunch. I wanted it to be ugly. I was very firm that I was writing every fucking note. The thought was, ‘This is my contribution to ugly music right this second in a heavy metal vein.’ That was great at the time. ‘Walk Through Exits Only’ made its own little statement that I am a free agent and I belong to no single band. This time, I worked closely with everyone. We tried different ideas together. It made the spirit of this thing come alive even more because of the enthusiasm these guys bring. It enhanced the integrity of the project.”

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